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The primary conventional treatments for sinus infections are:
Antibiotics may not be very effective for all sinus infections. In fact as published in the New England Journal of Medicine, antibiotics should be used when symptoms persist for 10 days. Most infections go away on their own after a few weeks. Antibiotics can help some cases, but overall are not even that effective. [1]
Overuse of antibiotics leads to resistant strains of bacteria.
Antibiotics kill off healthy bacteria with each use. Over time, this lowers the diversity of the gut flora and weakens the immune system. Probiotics can help, however they can not replace all the good guys that antibiotics kill off.
Candida and other yeast infections. Killing off bacteria with antibiotics can just give yeast space to move in and cause their own symptoms.
In some cases antibiotics may be useful for very bad sinus infections. However, if antibiotics are the only tool in your toolbox, that leads to over prescription.
As I tell my clients, if the antibiotics really cured the sinus infection, then you would take it once and and infection would not come back.
Steroids help control the inflammation of sinusitis. They do nothing to fix the underlining issue. Steriods are only for short term relief.
Over time sinusitis can cause anatomical changes to the sinuses and nasal passageways. Surgery may correct these changes. The underlining cause of sinus infections remain.
Most people see naturopathic doctors to help with chronic health issues. This does not mean that naturopathic are not able to help with acute symptoms. I encourage my clients to see me for an acute symptoms and make time for them to get into my office without a long wait.
Everyone is different, so I do not have a protocol I give everyone for acute sinus symptoms. These are some natural methods I more commonly use.
Steam inhalation of either herbal tinctures or essential oils are a fast way to get medinals up in the sinuses where the problem is. Steam inhalation can help to kill off sinus infections, and decongest the .
Nette pots. Many people use nette pots with salt water to clear out sinuses. Adding in anti-microbial agents may help this be more effective for acute infections. Liquid Iodine is a good antimicrobial.
Xlear is a product sold at health food stores. I keep it in my office as well. One of its main ingredients is xylitol. This 5 carbon sugar is slippery for bacteria. It stops them from sticking inside the sinuses or nasal passages. Xlear also includes other anti microbial herbs for their nasal and sinus sprays.
Hydrotherapy treatments apply hot or cold water tom stimuate the immune system and clear out congestion.
Isopathics are a method of immune system modulation using minute doses of a harmless fungus to trigger and immune system response. These are useful for both acute symptoms, and for long term support.
Allergies causes congestion which makes the sinuses more susceptible to infection. Therefore, testing for and eliminating allergens is important.
IgE allergies produce classical, intimidate responses. Many airborne allergies to trees, pollen or dust are IgE mediated. Testing is done by skin prick tests, or IgE blood tests.
IgG mediated allergies are often delayed. The symptoms come hours, or even days after exposure. Many of these are to foods. Often people think they do not have allergies their medical doctor already tested them. However, many times they are only tested for IgE, and not IgG.
I have several ways to test for allergies with clients. Blood tests for IgE and IgG can both be run. In the office I also will do kinesiology muscle tests to pick up reactions to foods and environmental allergens.
Follow this link for more information on allergies
Multiple food allergies are a sign of stress in the digestive system. This may be from Candida, other yeast infections, inflammation, a lack of healthy gut bacteria and so called “leaky gut syndrome”.
Follow this link for more information on natural health for the digestive system
I give recommendations based upon individualized assessment and lab tests.
Herbs can help sinusitis in several different ways:
As an herbalist I believe it’s more important to give the right herbs for the person rather than the symptom they have. Correct herbal prescriptions are based upon a holistic evaluation.
For more information on this follow the link to my page on traditional herbal medicine
Homotoxicology is a theory of disease based upon how the body eliminates toxins. In this model there are several stages to disease progression.
The body is able to excrete toxins. Primary routes of elimination include the liver and kidneys. Other methods of excretion may lead to minor symptoms such as increased sweating or coughs.
Excretion is no longer enough. Inflammation develops as the body attempts to catabolize toxins. Minor infections, including sinusitis happen in this stage.
In this model bacteria are not the true cause of sinus infections. After all, we all have to some extent the bacteria involved in these infections living in our throats and nasal passageways all the time. In homotoxicology it is a toxic environment which allows bacteria to grow out of control. As the bacteria proliferate, inflammation liberates toxins, which is then purged from the body in forms such as mucous and pus.
In this situation there are two possible outcomes from using antibiotics:
Since the toxic environment remains unchanged, sinus infections keep coming back.
The infection does not return. However, the toxic environment remains. Over time toxins penetrate deeper into the body and cause more serious disease.
Band-aid treatments such as antibiotics (and using herbs for only symptom relief) only give the appearance of improved health. A full intake is essential. Don‘t treat the sinuses, treat the whole person! Lab tests for toxicity such as hair analysis may be considered.
Follow this link for more information on lab tests for toxicity
The next stage in homotoxicology is deposition. Toxins that are not excreted by inflammation start to get stuck inside of tissue. Examples of this are different types of cysts and polyps. This includes nasal and sinus polyps.
At the impregnation stage toxins move inside of healthy cells, and impair function.
Degeneration of tissue due to toxicity.
Dedifferentiation of tissue. Cancer is at this stage.
Traditional detoxification works by improving the excretion of toxins through primary routes of elimination. Consider these examples:
Biotherapeutic drainage is a method of detoxification used under the homotoxicology model. Protocols use compounds homeopathics to stimulate the “drainage” of toxins from where they are stored in the body. This is something missed is most methods of detoxification.
Follow this link for more information on homotoxicology and biotherapeutic drainage
There may actually be hidden dental infections in many cases of chronic sinusitis. If you have tried to use natural treatments for chronic sinus infections and it has not
worked, this may be the reason. In this case and evaluation by a dentist is needed.
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